Meat chopping machine



NOV. 26, 1940. s. GRONlCH MEAT CHOPPING MACHINE Fil'ed- Aug. l2, 193964,1 @Paule/v,

Patented Nov. 26, 1940 fit-ISSUED JUN 3- 19M.

NETE STATES; PATENT OFFICE MEAT CHOPPING MACHINE Snam Gronich, LosAngeles, Calif.

Application August 12, 1939, Serial No. 289,845

8 Claims.

This invention pertains to grinders, more particularly to those of themeat chopper type.

In the conventional type of meat grinder, the

v outer end of the worm has a tendency to oscillate,

because of poor support, which allows the iiutes on the worm and theutes in the casing to come into contact with each other, which causesrapid wear and also causes particles of metal to mix l with the meat.

10 In this improved grinder, stationary, nonrotatable bearing means isprovided extending along the axis of the worm, which furnishes a trueaxial support upon which the worm turns, therel by preventingoscillation of the worm and consequently eliminating all wear of theaforementioned flutes that the worm would otherwise cause. The bearingmeans provided by this invention also reduces wear of the driving shaftof the worm, which has hitherto been a serious defect in meat grinders.These defects in wearing quality cause the oscillation of the rotaryparts to become progressively worse, until, in a relatively short time,the fluted parts become useless and have to be replaced. This grinder isalso constructed in such a mannerv as to eliminate wear due to endwisethrust of the worm.

In the conventional type of grinder, the cutting plate and knife arejammed against each other by a clamping ring, and in turn jammed againstthe front end of the worm, which in turn jams against the back end ofthe cylinder; this being the method now in use toho-ld these partsreasonably secure.

In the grinder hereinafter described and claimed, the front of the axisshaft, the main4 bearing means, is supported by the perforated cuttingplate, and this plate is tightened against the shoulder in the front ofthe cylinclerbi7 the L lring, and to eliminate the point of frictionvbetween the cutting knife, and this plate, a spring pressure is usedwhich keeps the knife in proper position at all times, and at the sametime minimizes the friction in the meat grinder. l Because this extrafriction does not exist in this grinder, there is practically no heatingof the meat asl `it passes through the cutting plate. In theconventionaltype of grinder, the friction between the cutting knife and plategenerates a great amount I of heat which has a tendency to discolor andtaint the meat in a comparatively short time.

In the conventional grinder, the ldriving gear is solid and the drivingshaftvof the worm is not centered properly, andis more or less floating.

y In this grinder, the driving gear has an open center allowing the hubwhich supports the axis shaft-tocome through and center all the workingparts so as to make it feasible to arrange all the parts in their propercooperative relation.

By eliminating all of the points of objectionable u friction in thisgrinder, it has been made possible 5 to use much less power for a givenamount of work, allowing cheaper and much more satisfactory operation ofgrinding equipment.

Owing to the improvements above pointed out, which it is among theobjects of this invention to 10 secure, and to other features ofinvention which will hereinafter appear, the grinder provided by thisinvention possesses a long wearing quality and operates in a moresatisfactory manner than prior devices of its class. 15

Referring to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferredembodiment ofthe invention, now reduced to practice,

Fig. 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in verticalmid-section. 2()

Fig. 2 is a partial section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. l l.

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is Aa sectional detail o-n line 4 4 of Fig. 1.V

Fig. 5 is a side elevation separately showing the 25 y bushing shown inthe left-hand portion of Fig. 1. Referring in detail to the drawing, thecasing portion of the device is shown as comprising a motor casing IIJfurnished with an attaching base II, said motor casing having a ylateralex- 30 tension I2 constituting'a gear casing. Said gear casing I2, inturn, supports a tubular or somewhat frusto-conical hollow bracket I3which is furnished with an attaching flange I4 whereby,

by the use of cap screws I5, said bracket is se- 35 cured to said gearcasing I 2. The grinder casing I6 is secured to and sustained by saidbracket I3. The means for holding the various parts of the device intheir assembled relation, and the operating mechanism, will now bedescribed in detail, 4 starting with the driving shaft 2li of the motor(not shown) contained within casing I0. Said shaft 2D has fixed to it adriving pinion 2l in mesh with a driven gear 22 fixed to a shaft 23 l,furnished with bearings 24 and 25. Shaft 23, in 45 turn, has xed to it apinion 26 which meshes with'a transmission gear 2l having vits bearingupon an arbor 28 which, by screws 29, is secured to a hanger plate 3Dthat depends from the top vwall of the gear casing I2. 50

Said hanger plate 30 has through it an opening 3|, and the arbor 28 isfurnished with a tubular, axial extension 32 which rits within saidopening and thus cooperates with the screws 29 in hold# Y, ing `thearbor in its mounted position. Said 55I arbor extension 32 is internallyscrew threaded and has screwed into it an adjusting Ascr :pv 33,` thefunction of which will hereinafteil'i, 'pearjjgy Said adjusting screw ismaintained in its adjusted position by means of a finger 34a carried bya set screw 34 screwed into the outer end of the arbor 28. i,

The aforementioned transmission gear 21 has axially secured to it anextension 35 having a circular exterior contour but having through it asquare passage within which is slidably fitted the squared end portion36 of a tubular coupler shaft 31. The outer end portion of said shaft 31is externally screw threaded and has screwed on to it the inner endportion of the tubular body of the grinding worm 38.

The inner end portion of the tubular coupler shaft 31 has its internaldiametenenlarged to receive a needle bearing 39 interposed between itand the stationary shaft 41. The grinding casing I6 has a circularrecess |69: in its rear end, which encloses, in a slightly spacedrelation, the inner end of the grinding worm 3B, The ball bearingstructure 62 and 13 (hereinafter described more in detail) maintain thetubular shaft structure in a rotatable but longitudinally fixed relationto the axis shaft 41, hence by adjusting properly the screw 33, againstwhich the inner end of the axis shaft abuts, the worm 38 is properlypositionable to maintain its inner end in a slightly spaced,frictionless relation to the bottom of the recess The grinder casing I6is furnished with a tapered, tubular extension 4| which ts within theextension i3 of the gear casing and is secured therein by means of aclamping screw 42 having radial operating arms 43. The hopper portion 44of the casing I6 abuts against the end of the extension 3, saidextension being thickest in its upper portion, where a dowel pin 45 isused to aid in preventing rotational displacement.

The body portion of the coupler shaft 31 rotatably ts within theextension 4| of the grinding casing, and the extension 35 of the Vgear21 fits rotatably within the inner portion of the gear casing extensionI3. The coupler shaft 31, together with its extension 36 and the worm 38constitute a tubular shaft structure which is furnished with an axialpassage 46, through which extends, with a very loose fit, anon-rotatable axis shaft 41 having a squared inner end portion 48 whichabuts against the head of the adjusting screw 33. Said shaft 41 iscontinued to the outer end of the device, where it is surrounded by asleeve 50 which fits within the hub portion of the non-irotatablegrinder disk 5| furnished with meat-delivery passages 52. The outer endof the grinder casing i6 has an annular shoulder 53 inside its mouthportion, against which the disk 5| is tightly held by means of anapertured cap 54 which is screwed on to the outer end portion of saidcasing by the aid of a hand wheel 55 carried by said cap.

In spaced relations to its ends, said shaft 41 is furnished with adiametrically enlarged portion 60. Through the grinding worm 38 extendsan elongated axial chamber 6|, a part of which is occupied by said shaftportion 60, there being a slight annular clearance maintained aroundthis portion of the shaft. Between the annular shoulder afforded by theinner end of said shaft portion 6D and the adjacent end of the couplershaft 31 is interposed the ball bearing structure 62 of the twoconcentric ringstype with a series of balls in the intervening raceway.The inner ring of this bearing structure is in a fixed relation to thesmall shaft portion 41 and also abuts against the 'annular shoulderprovided by the adjacent enlarged shaft section 6U.

The outer bearing ring occupies an annular recess provided for it in theworm 38 and is gripped in this position by the adjacent end of thescrewed in tubular transmission shaft 31, this end of said tubular shaftbeing interiorly beveled at 65 to avoid frictional contact with thenon-rotating inner ring of the bearing.

Beyond the outer end of the enlarged shaft portion 60, there is mountedwithin the worm 38, an externally screw threaded terminal shaft sectionformed by a bushing 10 which forms the outer end portion of the tubular,rotatable shaft structure which surrounds the stationary axis shaft 41,and which includes the worm 38. Said bushing 1l) is screwed into thediametrically enlarged outer end portion 1| of the elongated chamber 6|within the worm 38 and its inner end abuts against the outer ring of theball bearing structure 13 shown as being of the same size and shape asthe already described ball bearing 62.

Like the coupler shaft 31, the bushing 10 has its end which is adjacentto the ball bearing interiorly beveled (at 14) so as not to frictionallycontact with the inner ring of the bearing. The ball bearing structure13 need not be described in further detail, as it is arranged in amanner correponding to that of the ball bearing 62 already described.

The rotary cutter blades 15 are carried by a hub 16 which is slightlyslidable on the diametrically reduced square outer end portion 11 of theterminal shaft section or bushing 10, so as to slide somewhat (as far asthe shoulder 18a) in relation to this shaft section, but be positivelyrotated thereby. In order to keep the cutter blades 15 in a propercontactual relation to the inner face of the disk 5| a spiralcompression spring 19 presses the rotary cutter, an angularly cup shapedwasher being interposed between said spring and the hub 16 of saidcutter.

The bottom of said cup-shaped washer 8D has through it a square openingthrough which the square part 11 of the bushing 10 extends with aworking fit. The part of the bushing which is surrounded by all exceptthe outer end portion of the spring 19 is unthreaded and has itsdiameter somewhat reduced in order to afford an annular clearance forsaid spring to occupy.

The ball bearings 62 and 13, located respectively at the inner and theouter end of the enlarged portion 60 of the axis shaft 41 not onlyeliminate friction in relation to the periphery of said shaft but alsogreatly reduce end thrust friction.

lReferring to additional structural details, the extension 35 of thetransmission gear 21 is furnished with an attaching flange 35a, andscrews 35h to extend through said gear and are screwed into threadedopenings through said flange. The basal portion of the gear casingextension I3 is annularly recessed to receive said ange 35a and also tomake room for a resilient washer or gasket 35e which aids in making anoil-tight connection between the gear casing and the grinder section ofthe casing structure.

One of the meritorius features of the invention resides in the efficientmanner in which the meat or other substance being ground is protectedfrom having any lubricating substance mingled with it. Nevertheless, noappreciable heat is generated by friction, one reason for this beingthat all the-thrust caused by thereaction of the meat upon the -worm 38and knives l5 is absorbed by the annular shoulder 18 at the outer end ofthe diametrically enlarged portion 60 of the axis shaft 41. v

When the grinderis inoperation, the reaction of the meat being groundupon the rotary cutter knives l5, as the meat is severed between saidknives and the inner faceof the disk 5l, causes the hub I6 to retractthe cup-shaped washer 8U against the opposition of spring 19. rIhisretraction may continue until the outer face of the bottom of the saidwasher isiiush with the outer end of the worm, saidfwasher beingarrested at this point by the shoulders 18a.;4 Hence, during thegrinding operation, a substantially continuous well sealed surface ispresented between the bushing 10 andthe worm to keep the meat fromworking into any part of the bearing structure.

It is to be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose ofillustration only, and

, t this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fallwithin the scope of the subject matter claimed.

What is claimed is: l

l. In a grinder, a casing structure provided with an elongated passageof a generally circular cross section and made up of sections ofdifferent diameters, a portion of said passage forming a grindingchamber, av non-rotatable shaft, sup-v ported by said casing andextending axially through said passage, a series of tubular membersindividually journalled upon said shaft and connected with each other torotate in unison, one of said members being a grinding worm locatedwithin said grinding chamber and constituting a member adjacent to oneend of said series of rotatable members, a motor, and means operativelyconnecting with said motor the rotatable member of said series which islocated farthest from said worm.

2. In a grinder, a casing structure provided with an elongated passageof a generally circular cross section and made upV of sections ofdifferent diameters, a portion of said passage forming a grindingchamber, a non-rotatable shaft supported by said casing and extendingaxially through said passage, a series of tubular members individuallyjournaled upon said shaft and connected with each other to rotate inunison, one of said members being a grinding worm located within saidgrinding chamber and constituting a member adjacent to one end of saidseries of rotatable members, a motor, means operatively connecting withsaid motor the rotatable member of said series which is located farthestfrom said worm, a disk having meat delivery apertures and xedly mountedin the delivery end portion of said grinding chamber, said disk having acentral aperture wherein is supported the adjacent end portion of theaforesaid non-rotatable shaft, a rotary cutter positioned to act with ashearing out over the inner face of said disk, means whereby said cutteris mounted in a splined relation to the aforesaid tubular rotatableshaft to rotate therewith but Vary somewhat in its position withrelation to the length thereof, and spring means carried by rotatableshaft structure and yieldingly pressing said cutter toward the innerface of said disk.

3. The subject matter of claim 2 and, an adjustable abutment fornon-rotatable shaft located at its inner end andin axial alinementtherewith.

4. In a device of the'kind described, a motor casing having a gearcasing extension, a hanger within said casing, an arbor supported bysaid hanger in a fixed relation thereto, a support havingV afrusto-conical recess at its outer end fastened tosaid gear casing, agrinder casing having at one end a tapered tubular extension projectinsTinto and secured within said frustoconical recess, said grindercasing'having at its opposite end a discharge opening furnished in-yternally with an annular outwardly directed shoulder, a disk providedwith meat discharge openings, means clamping said disk against saidshoulder, said disk having la central opening, an axis shaftnon-rotatably mounted with one of its end portions mounted in saidopening of said disk and its opposite end portion mounted in theaforesaid arbor, said axis shaft supporting a rotary shaft structureincluding a meat cutting worm within said grinding casing, a gearrotatably mounted upon said arbor, an outwardly directed extensionsecured to said gear in a concentric manner, said extension having asquare passage through it, a coupler shaft ro-A tatably mounted'on saidaxis shaft and slidably fitted within said extension of said gear, and agrinding worm rotatably supported upon said axis shaft and securedconcentrically to said` coupler shaft to be driven thereby.

5. In a meat grinder, a casing structure including a grinding chamber, agear casing, and an intermediate section whereby the portion of thecasing structure containing said' grinding chamber is connected withsaid gear casing; an

axis shaft extending through said grinding` chamber and saidintermediate casing section; an arbor, hanger means whereby said arboris non-rotatably supported by the casing structure, said axis shafthaving one of its end portions non-rotatably supported by said arbor,said arbor having an internally screw threaded portion,

a screw member in said screw threaded portion forming an abutment forthe adjacent end `of said axis shaft, a tubular shaft structurejournaled upon said axis shaft `and including a grinding worm, saidtubular shaft structure being held against lengthwise movement inrelation to said axis sl-aft; a gear mounted rotatably on said arbor;and means whereby said gearv is operatively connected with said tubularshaft structure to rotate the latter while allowing for longitudinaladjustment thereof, the aforesaid screw member being longitudinallyadjustable within the arbor which contains it for the purpose ofmaintaining' the worm in the proper longitudinal position in relationtothe portion of the casing wherein it is contained.

6. The subject matter of claim 5 and, the means whereby said gear isoperatively connected with said tubular shaft structure consisting of atubular extension secured to said gear and projecting centrally from oneface thereof and surrounding said axis shaft, and a portion of saidtubular shaft structure having a slidable, nonrotatable connection withsaid tubular extension.

'7. In a meat grinder, a casingv structure including a grinding chamber,a gear casing, and an intermediate section whereby the portion of thecasing structure containing said grinding chamber is connected with saidgear casing; an axis shaft extendingy through said grinding chamber andsaid intermediate casing section; a

sok

disk located within the discharge portion of said 75 grinding chamber,said grinding chamber having an internal annular shoulder; a cap screwedon to the discharge portion of the grinder part of the casing structure,said cap clamping said disk against said annular shoulder, said axisshaft having a front end portion which projects into the central portionof said disk and is in part supported thereby, a cylindrical shaftstructure surrounding said axis shaft and including a bushing rotatablymounted upon the portion of said axis shaft adjacent to said disk, saidbushing having an outer end portion which is square in cross-section andmeets shoulders at its inner end, a rotary cutter having a hub with asquare opening through it whereby it is slidably mounted upon saidsquare portion of said bushing to rotate therewith and be limited in itsinward sliding movements by the last recited shoulders,` a grinding wormin the aforesaid grinding chamber, said Worm having through it an axialchamber circular in cross section and diametrically enlarged in itsouter end portion to have the inner portion of said bushing screwed intoit, thus providing an externally circular clearance around the squareportion of said bushing and for a short space in- Wardly adjacentthereto, said bushing being diametrically reduced throughout said shortspace, a spiral compression spring around said bushing and occupyingsaid space, and a cup shaped washer encircling the outer portion of saidspring and having through its bottom a square opening, thus providing itwith an apertured portion which fits slidably around the aforesaidsquare portion of said bushing and which is pressed by said springagainst the hub of said rotary cutter to keep the latter in a properoperative relation to said disk.

8. The subject matter of claim '7 and, the shoulders of said bushingadjacent to its square portion arresting the inward movement of saidcup-shaped Washer at a point Where the outer face of its bottom issubstantially flush with the 20 outer end' of said Worm.

SAM GRONICH.

